Results 1,641-1,660 of 12,033 for speaker:Regina Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by almost 80 private transport operators. There are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2029 to 2031, inclusive, together. The mediated agreement for former Waterford Crystal workers, covers members of the Waterford Crystal Limited Contributory Pension Plan for Staff and the Waterford Crystal Limited Contributory Pension Scheme for Factory Employees, and provides for the payment of – (a) a tax-free once-off lump sum of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 15 February 2017. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 6 May 2017 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the SWI has reported,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Data (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2034 and 2035 together. The current processing times for all social welfare appeals, including domiciliary care allowance appeals, are outlined in the following table below. The time taken to process an appeal reflects all aspects of the appeal process including the time spent in the Department preparing the appeal submission. The quasi-judicial nature of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Christmas Bonus was abolished in 2009, partially reintroduced in 2014 with the payment of a 25% Bonus, and increased to a 75% Bonus payment in 2015. Last December, an 85% Bonus was paid to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of their financial dependence on their social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: A total of €1,785.00 was paid by my Department to the consultancy firm in question during the period 2000 – 2001. No payments have been made by my Department to this firm since then. The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the deputy is detailed in the following tabular stateemnt. Processing Times at 31 May 2017 – average time to award Schemes Average time to award (weeks) Jobseeker's Benefit 1 Jobseeker's Allowance 2 State Pension Contributory (Dom) 5 State Pension Non-Contributory 11* Domiciliary Care Allowance 18 Carer's Allowance 13 Carer's Benefit 7 Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I understand that the Deputy’s question relates to the period 1 November 2014 to date. The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Under the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards (November...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Programmes (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: Further to parliamentary question number 35 of 31 May 2017, I wish to reiterate the aim of the JobPath service, which is provided for jobseekers only, is to assist them in finding sustainable full time paid employment whereas the Community Employment schemes provide part-time work experience and training opportunities in local communities as a stepping stone back to employment for people on a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Reform (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: As outlined in my response to parliamentary question number 149 of 25 May 2017, it is my intention to publish and commence the implementation of an Action Plan for the reform of pensions over the coming months. To address low supplementary pension coverage rates, in addition to a range of other long term reform measures, this Action Plan will detail proposals to transition from the current...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pensions Data (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: It is the Department’s policy to not predict what a person’s future pension entitlement may be due to the varying factors involved in calculating such pensions. State pension (contributory) is currently payable from age 66. Under current legislation - a person eligible for a state pension (contributory) must: - have entered insurable employment before attaining the age of 56...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to seeking “to introduce a PRSI scheme for the self-employed and provide a supportive tax regime for entrepreneurs and the self-employed”. This has been one of my key priorities since becoming Minister in this Department. Last Budget Day, I was pleased to extend the level of cover available to self-employed PRSI contributors....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Expenditure (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: According to figures from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Central Statistics Office (CSO), over 4,500 babies are born prematurely in Ireland every year, which in 2014 was 6.6 percent of all births. Using this figure of 4,500 premature births per annum, the estimated cost for each additional week of paid maternity leave is approximately €1 million per week....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Insurance Fund Deficit (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the attached table. It should be noted that the surplus/deficit reported in this table is the difference between the in-year income and expenditure of the fund. This differs from the concept of an actuarial surplus/deficit which compares the liabilities of a fund (to pay benefits, now and in the future, to eligible contributors) with the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Postal Codes (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Department undertook a business change study in 2015 for the Project which cost €7,012.92 inclusive of VAT. The cost of the contract for IT work detailed above was €298,890.00 inclusive of VAT. The project was completed on time and within budget. The Department has purchased the Eircode Address Database (ECAD) service to provide ongoing validation of postcodes with...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Maternity Benefit Administration (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the number of claims awaiting processing where the mother/expectant mother has already commenced her maternity leave has been eliminated. The Department is currently processing claims where the expectant mother is commencing her maternity leave in the current week and the waiting time for these customers has been eliminated. While this does not provide...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Status (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18thApril 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud Investigations (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: My Department administers over 70 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. In 2016, some 1.7 million applications for benefit, assistance and access to schemes were received and processed and over 82 million individual payments were made to people across all age groups and to employers. The scale of my Department’s operations and...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (20 Jun 2017)

Regina Doherty: The payment schemes operated by my Department are designed to address certain contingencies that may arise in the course of a person’s life. By their nature, at any given time there will be a certain number of claims awaiting decision and my Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. Each scheme area is continuously monitored and...